FAQs

Why should someone move to The Stratford?

The Stratford was founded to help people live longer, healthier and happier lives. We want people to age in place and be able to stay in their home, whether an apartment or a cottage home, without having to go to institutional care.

Our goal is to help our members stay involved and we do this through our wellness programs, our excellent dining services, our curated social calendars and by providing a community where they feel secure surrounded by friends. This gives them the freedom to do more things, go more places, spend more time with family, visit more with friends and just generally, live a better life.

Can I afford to live here?

The average member of our communities saves approximately $1,000 per month over living in their previous house.

You may be wondering about the affordability of living in our community. We work hard to keep the monthly fee reasonable and its increases to a minimum. When you compare what it costs to maintain your present home with what it costs to enjoy the amenities of our community, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. When you consider all of our services such as home maintenance and lawn care, exquisite dining, a full social activities calendar, exercise classes, weekly housekeeping, scheduled transportation, concierge services, utilities being paid, taxes being paid, and emergency response all at your fingertips – you’ll discover that life is better and, perhaps, even less expensive, too. When you add to that the peace of mind offered both you and your children, knowing that your needs are taken care of, living in our community becomes an increasingly excellent value.

How would you describe your activities program?

A full-time Director of Member Services plans and coordinates a daily schedule of varied activities geared to our members’ interests and preferences.

We offer a wide array of activities and community events. A full-time Director of Member Services plans and coordinates a daily schedule of varied activities geared to our members’ interests and preferences.

There are exercise and educational classes, Bridge and card games, crafts, study groups, golf outings, parties, and movie nights. We also offer outings to cultural destinations, day excursions, shopping trips, and lunches out on the town. Seasonal events, happy hours, themed dinners, and birthday celebrations are included, too.

Our social calendars are published before the beginning of the month so that each member can plan in advance and invite their friends and family.

How does Care Services integrate into The Stratford?

Care Services is located at the community and easily accessible by residents, family members and friends. Care Services residents enjoy their own separate clubhouse, dining room and activity areas.

The Stratford has on-site rehabilitation services offered through our partner, Genesis Rehabilitation. Most communities provide physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy, both for members of our communities as well as outside guests.

How is Care Services staffed?

The Stratford is staffed with Care Services personnel 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

We have a contracted Medical Director and Pharmacy Director (a RPh), and an on-site Director of Assisted Living and Director of Nursing Services. The Medical Director and Pharmacy Director make regular visits to the Care Services facilities.

The Clubhouse dining program uses a menu system like you would see in any fine dining restaurant. There are regularly over 12 entrées on the Clubhouse dining menu plus daily specials, prepared by our executive chef. Members are allotted flexible dining dollars each month to spend on dining and the dollars roll throughout the year.

Dining in Care Services features the same great food, fantastic service and again, lots of options. One perk of living in our assisted living is the ANYTIME menu. Our residents can find a great meal anytime they are ready to eat. We work on their schedule instead of our residents working on ours.

Menus throughout the community also include our wellness menu options. These entrees are prepared to meet the American Heart Association’s criteria.

What is the monthly service fee?

The service fee includes all of the monthly bills you would have paid on your own house.

The monthly service fee is an all-inclusive cost that is paid monthly by members of the community.

The monthly service fee includes all of the monthly bills or expense they would have paid on their previous house.

Examples are:

Electricity

TV

Water

Sewer

Internet and phone (select locations)

Lawn maintenance

Housecleaning

Bathroom & kitchen detail cleaning

Emergency system monitoring

Meals

Scheduled transportation

Entertainment

Social functions

Concierge services

When do I receive a refund on my Occupancy Fee?

Just like any house you’ve sold in the past, our members receive their Occupancy Fee Refund when we sell your house.

Occupancy fee range is based on location, view, features and choice of occupancy plan. Each cottage or villa home has a different price like any house in any neighborhood. And just like any other house, our members receive their guaranteed occupancy fee refund when we sell their cottage or villa home.

How much will the Monthly Service Fee increase?

While rising costs are a given in today’s economic environment, we recognize that the vast majority of our residents are on fixed incomes, and we strive to contain costs as best we can to be good stewards of your investment. Over the past five years, the amount of increase in Monthly Service Fees has averaged between 3.0% and 3.5% per year.